The first time we faced a catastrophic man-made threat to the planet’s environment, Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher – of all people – took action. The world followed their lead and fixed the vast hole in the ozone layer. Had they not acted, we humans might have had to become a nocturnal species. As climate change begins to feel like an impossible challenge, this story – told by the folks who persuaded Maggie and Ronnie to regulate industry – offers a bit of hope.
Interviewees include Secretary George Shultz, who persuaded President Reagan to phase out the production of CFC chemicals; Professor Mario Molina, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for identifying the CFC problem; Dr James Lovelock whose work inspired Professor Molina to examine CFCs; Dr Jonathan Shanklin, who discovered the ozone hole; Sir Robert Watson who lead the international scientific assessment of the ozone problem and Professor Susan Solomon who identified chemistry that creates the hole in stratosphere.
Awards: Winner, Best International Documentary, AFO, Europe’s leading science film festival.
“Brilliant storytelling. An inspirational film.” Jury of AFO 53, 2018